This investigation focuses on nanoparticle filtration in the processing of multiscale carbon and glass fibre composites via resin transfer moulding. Surface modified and unmodified carbon nanotubes ...(CNTs) were incorporated into a commercial epoxy resin. The dispersion quality was evaluated using electrical measurements of the liquid suspensions. The manufacturing process was adapted to the challenges posed by the modified rheological behaviour of the CNT loaded resin. Nanoparticle filtration was observed; with some of the unmodified systems following so called ‘cake filtration’ behaviour. This resulted in nonlinear flow behaviour that deviated from the ideal response observed in RTM filling in conventional composites. The electrical conductivity of relatively high fibre volume fraction multiscale carbon and glass laminates increased by less than an order of magnitude with the addition of the nanotubes.
This review addresses the biovalorization of the okara, a water-soluble soy extract industry byproduct. This material is highly susceptible to decay due to its high water content and appreciable ...levels of nutrients (proteins, dietary fibers, and isoflavones). Details on the extraction processes which are applied for the isolation of the key compounds are emphasized, as well as the main characteristics of these products. The development of new and safer processes is required to achieve the overall reuse of the okara components, avoiding the generation of new agro-industrial wastes, and applying the isolated nutrients to products intended for humans.
Pomegranate (
Punica granatum
) is known to contain polyphenols with many potential health benefits, including anti-tumoral, anti-inflammatory, and anti-microbial properties. It has been used in ...popular medicine for cancer treatment, which still represents the major cause of cancer-related deaths in men worldwide. Importantly, pomegranate peels are valuable by-products of the food industry that are rich in polyphenols. Here we report a comparison between juice and peel aqueous extracts in prostate cancer DU-145 and PC-3 cell lines. Both extracts were able to inhibit the proliferation, migration and colony formation of those cells, although peel extracts presented more robust effects compared to juice. Besides, the growth-related mTOR/S6K signaling pathway presented strong inhibition after pomegranate extracts treatment. This study presents evidence that both juice and isolated peel extracts from promegate fruit have important anti-cancer effects against prostate cancer cells, modulating the mTOR/S6K signaling pathway.
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The objective of the present study was to compare the effect of dairy matrices (fermented milk and ice cream) and a dietary supplement containing the same amounts of inulin and the ...same viable counts of Lactobacillus acidophilus and Bifidobacterium animalis on the survival of probiotics when submitted to simulated digestion. The survival was evaluated by plate counts in MRS agar, the metabolic status by flow cytometry and the cell morphology by scanning electronic microscopy. The percentages of live cells observed by flow cytometry and by plate counts were higher in the fermented milk when compared with the other products (p < 0.05). The cell integrity was better maintained in the dairy products as compared to the dietary supplement. The dairy matrices were more effective in maintaining the viability of probiotics during the digestion process than the dietary supplement, and the fermented milk proved to be the best way of delivering viable probiotics.
•During simulated digestion probiotic cells are injured/killed.•Dairy matrices tend to protect probiotics.•Fermented milk presented better results for probiotic survival comparted to ice cream.•Probiotic cells delivered by dietary supplement had very low survival.
Accurate species identification often relies on public repositories to compare the barcode sequences of the investigated individual(s) with taxonomically assigned sequences. However, the accuracy of ...identifications in public repositories is often questionable, and the names originally given are rarely updated. For instance, species of the Sea Lettuce (Ulva spp.; Ulvophyceae, Ulvales, Ulvaceae) are frequently misidentified in public repositories, including herbaria and gene banks, making species identification based on traditional barcoding unreliable. We DNA barcoded 295 individual distromatic foliose strains of Ulva from the North‐East Atlantic for three loci (rbcL, tufA, ITS1). Seven distinct species were found, and we compared our results with all worldwide Ulva spp. sequences present in the NCBI database for the three barcodes rbcL, tufA and the ITS1. Our results demonstrate a large degree of species misidentification, where we estimate that 24%–32% of the entries pertaining to foliose species are misannotated and provide an exhaustive list of NCBI sequences reannotations. An analysis of the global distribution of registered samples from foliose species also indicates possible geographical isolation for some species, and the absence of U. lactuca from Northern Europe. We extended our analytical framework to three other genera, Fucus, Porphyra and Pyropia and also identified erroneously labelled accessions and possibly new synonymies, albeit less than for Ulva spp. Altogether, exhaustive taxonomic clarification by aggregation of a library of barcode sequences highlights misannotations and delivers an improved representation of species diversity and distribution.
Abstract
Determining the lipid content and fatty acid (FA) composition of aquatic organisms has been of major interest in trophic ecology, aquaculture, and nutrition for over half a century. Although ...protocols for lipid analysis are well-described, their application to aquatic sciences often requires modifications to adapt to field conditions and to sample type. Here, we present the current state of knowledge of methods dedicated to both marine and freshwater lipid analyses, from sampling to data treatment. We review: (i) sample preservation, storage and transport protocols, and their effects on lipids, (ii) lipid extraction, separation of polar and neutral lipids, derivatization, and detection methods, and (iii) available tools for the statistical analysis of FA data. We provide recommendations for best practices in field situations and advocate for protocol standardization and interlaboratory calibration.
Purpose The purpose of this paper is to evaluate perceived sensory differences of organic and conventional leafy green vegetables through three sensory tests – blind, informed and inverted and the ...willingness to buy (WTB) them, and associated factors of organic food consumption by these students. Design/methodology/approach The research had a cross-sectional design with university students. First, a questionnaire with 16 statements was presented to 233 consumers with a five-point Likert scale response. The assertions were categorized into five domains: trust in organic production; trust in conventional production; positive attitude to organic; affordable price; and perceived quality. Afterwards, a hedonic scaling was conducted with 150 consumers, 50 in each type of test with conventional and organic leafy green vegetables: lettuce ( Lactuca sativa L. ); kale ( Brassica oleracea L. ); common chicory ( Cichorium intybus ); and endive ( Cichorium endivia ). Visual aspect, taste, texture, bitterness and overall liking for all samples were evaluated on a nine-point hedonic scale. Findings In general, the participants did not perceive sensory differences during the blind test, but when the information about the vegetables was provided, higher scores were obtained by those products labelled as organic in the informed test and in the inverted test (conventional labelled as organic). This effect was higher for students with stronger attitudes towards organic food. These results indicated that the perceived differences between organic and conventional leafy green by university students tended to be attitudinal and, therefore, can be greatly influenced by the information provided with the product. Originality/value This research showed that university students were influenced by the organic label, revealing their sensory perception about vegetables. This study had multiple methodological approaches, including hedonic scaling and consumers’ WTB. This combination allowed identifying the students’ attitudinal tendency in relation to their sensory perceptions of organic green leafy green vegetables.
Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) are a type of metal oxide nanoparticle with an extensive use in biomedicine. Several studies have focused on the biosafety of ZnO NPs, since their size and surface ...area favor entrance and accumulation in the body, which can induce toxic effects. In previous studies, ZnO NPs have been identified as a dose- and time-dependent cytotoxic inducer in testis and male germ cells. However, the consequences for the first cell stage of spermatogenesis, spermatogonia, have never been evaluated. Therefore, the aim of the present work is to evaluate in vitro the cytotoxic effects of ZnO NPs in spermatogonia cells, focusing on changes in cytoskeleton and nucleoskeleton. For that purpose, GC-1 cell line derived from mouse testes was selected as a model of spermatogenesis. These cells were treated with different doses of ZnO NPs for 6 h and 12 h. The impact of GC-1 cells exposure to ZnO NPs on cell viability, cell damage, and cytoskeleton and nucleoskeleton dynamics was assessed. Our results clearly indicate that higher concentrations of ZnO NPs have a cytotoxic effect in GC-1 cells, leading to an increase of intracellular Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) levels, DNA damage, cytoskeleton and nucleoskeleton dynamics alterations, and consequently cell death. In conclusion, it is here reported for the first time that ZnO NPs induce cytotoxic effects, including changes in cytoskeleton and nucleoskeleton in mouse spermatogonia cells, which may compromise the progression of spermatogenesis in a time- and dose-dependent manner.
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